In the province of Buenos Aires the decree on over-the-counter medicines in shelves cannot be applied

Through a press release, the entity that brings together all the pharmacies of the district clarified that it is a presidential decree that allows the “sale and delivery of medical specialties that require a prescription (…) through electronic channels” and the display of over-the-counter medicines on shelves so that the general public can directly access them without the need for intermediaries.

However, the pharmacist and president of the CFPBA, Alejandra Gomezmaintained that the “Current laws in the province of Buenos Aires establish that the dispensation of medications, even those called free sale or without a prescription, must be carried out in person, at the pharmacy counter, under the supervision of the pharmaceutical professional.

Furthermore, he added that the Decree 2,165/15which regulates Law 10,606, establishes that the pharmacies “They must have an orderly separation between the medications according to their status of sale, and in no case may they be within direct reach of the public.”

“We Buenos Aires pharmacists respect and defend current laws because they safeguard a health and sustainable model for the benefit of public health and the integrity of health professionals”stressed the head of the College.

Other provinces will not apply the Milei decree either

In addition to the province of Buenos Aires, another district that has its own legislation in this regard is Santa Fe. There, the head of the local College of Pharmacists, Miriam Monasteroloalready anticipated that the measure will not be applied. “We are in absolute disagreement with this decree,” he said.

A similar scenario occurs in Cordovawhere the president of the local College of Pharmacists, German Danielealso rejected the measure. “In Córdoba none of that announcement applies. We have a provincial law, ratified in the Legislature a few months ago by Resolution 3897/24, where it was passed by 79 votes in favor and one abstention, thus ratifying law 8302 that governs our activity, which is clear in this regard. It says that medications, even over-the-counter ones, can only be dispensed in authorized pharmacies,” he commented.

The same thing happened in Mendozawhere the local school recalled that provincial law 7,303 and regulatory decree 355, which regulate the activity, are currently in force. For this reason, the national decree has no influence

What Javier Milei’s decree says about the sale of over-the-counter medications

Decree 1024/24 was prepared by the Minister of State Deregulation, Federico Sturzeneggerand for his Health pair, Mario Lugonesand signed by the president Javier Milei. The Government argued that it aims to “cut the asymmetry of information regarding drug prices and favor the free choice of citizens.”

• Gondola display: These medications can be displayed directly on pharmacy shelves, facilitating consumer access.
• Restrictions: They must be in a closed box, with their leaflet and can only be sold to people over 18 years of age.
• Other establishments: the sale of some over-the-counter medications (antacids and pain relievers) is allowed in establishments that are not pharmaciesbut ANMAT can expand this list.

The measure indicates that it seeks to guarantee that the consumer receives clear and truthful information about the products and that they have the freedom to choose, always prioritizing their health and safety.